Vermont Business MagazineNearly $250,000 will be awarded to Vermont watershed teams, supporting projects largely developed during the 2015 Leahy Center Environmental Summit.The High Meadows Fund announcedthis week $249,000 to be awarded to six watersheds. The Mad River, Lamoille Valley, Saxtons River, South Lake, Upper White River, and Mill Brook teams will work with their own communities to help residents solve pressing issues to become morefloodwater and climate changeresilient.
At the Leahy Summit in March,all the teams, save one, joined together to discuss the theme “Climate Change Resilient, Floodwater Smart.”
The about 150 attendees heard from experts, including Vermont Secretary of Transportation Sue Minter, Partnership for Water Sustainability Executive Director Kim Stephens, Sen. Patrick Leahy and keynote speaker, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and spent two days brainstorming at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.
The Leahy Center for Lake Champlain fully supports the High Meadows Fund in its passion for resilience and is thrilled about the amazing projects underway around the state, designed specifically to prevent and cope with devastating damage, such as that seen with 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene.
Climate change will be present, but by developing proactive processes, citizenswill work to ensure their communities can continue to thrive.